Why Democratic activists do not trust Florida’s Democratic Party leaders

Less than 24 hours after losing with an incumbent in one of the most visible positions in the state, Florida’s Democratic Party leadership is again taking it on the chin from armchair pundits across the state. While many FDP backers have taken to Twitter and Facebook to downplay the party’s failures and throw stones at those making the critiques of the party, the individuals who support the Florida Democratic Party must understand why these criticisms take place. It’s recent and fading history, stupid.

The Florida Democratic Party has made several attempts in recent years to appear to be changing it’s structure, focus and tenor after consistent electoral defeats. This is after all a party that has lost 17 of the last 18 races for Governor & Cabinet, the last 2 open US Senate seat elections and now handed the GOP the second largest city in the nation that they will govern with a Republican Mayor. *

While I believe FDP Chairwoman Allison Tant’s attempts to reform the party are more genuine and might yield better results than that of her three predecessors all which were using the party to promote runs for higher office or lobbying interests, most activists around the state remain highly skeptical. We’ve seen this movie before many will claim and we know how it ends up.

Each film begins with a Democratic defeat at the polls, followed by weeks of “introspection,” which leads to the appointment of “blue ribbon” committees and talk that the party must nominate more “electable candidates” with whispers beginning that the party is too liberal to win outside southeast Florida. Then comes the committee report which makes obvious recommendations and protects most sacred cows in the party. Then comes another election cycle where the Democrats lose despite a growing consensus in the state behind progressive causes and issues.

The bottom line is Democrats across the state will not trust most “reforms” from the FDP until electoral success follows. Time and again activists as well as those involved in party committees and local DECs have seen the party fail them. While it may not be fair to judge the current leadership on the failures of the past, most leading Democrats across the state want to see empirical proof of changes and the elements being put in place for success before giving the FDP the benefit of the doubt in any critical election, like last night’s defeat in Jacksonville.

Following the 2002 election cycle, when I worked closely with the party, we unveiled several reforms of local DECs, changing vendors/consultants associated with losing and made messaging changes. But the losing continued. When Scott Maddox left the FDP to pursue an aborted race for Governor, new Chairwoman Karen Thurman returned the usual suspects in terms of vendors and consultants to the fold but benefited from a strong setup at both House & Senate Victory along with a good national climate.

The inability of Democrats to take advantage of positive developments, protect incumbents in the legislature or Mayors in 50-50 type cities after one election continue to haunt the party. The views of activists and those who work hard to elect Democrats across the state will not change until results turn around. Does the party itself deserve to be cut some slack? It depends on your perspective, but most activists across the state will not give the FDP the benefit of the doubt.

After electoral defeats, the party likes to blame the candidate and those managing the campaigns. But this old excuse has once again in the case of Alvin Brown’s defeat rung hollow with those it was intended to placate. Florida Democrats enter the summer of 2015 with just 1/3 of the members of the State Legislature, no Cabinet members and with Republican Mayors in the state’s two largest municipalities. Jacksonville and Miami will enter 2016 as two of the largest cities in the country with GOP Mayors.

This is the pattern after all with Florida Democrats. One decent cycle wiped out by one terrible one, and the summer of 2015 feels just like the summer of 2011 which felt like the summer of 2005 which felt like the summer of 1999. The party will never receive the benefit of the doubt from the masses of activists who work throughout the state until this pattern changes.

* Indianapolis is currently the 2nd largest city in the nation with a Republican Mayor. However Jacksonville will pass Indianapolis in population by the time Lenny Curry’s term expires.

Remind me how many times Hazouri has been elected in Jacksonville to various offices including Mayor over the course of the last 30 years?

It is not about me…I am reflecting WHY Dems across the state don’t trust the FDP. My opinion doesn’t matter in the bigger scheme of things. I happen to be less sour on the FDP than many. But the reality is results, and the results continue to underwhelm in any race where things could go against the Democratic candidate. Any 50-50 race or tough seat with few exceptions excepting the 2006 and 2008 cycles have fallen to the GOP going back to the 1998 election. So it’s unfair on the current FDP leadership and staff but that is WHY most activists around the state pile on after results like this. It’s all about history.

That’s funny! Calling Kartik a party hack. He never writes anything without tearing down every inch of the FDP. The only reason he throws in those occasional good lines about Allison Tant is to keep open all options. But Tant ain’t no dummy.

Remind me how many times Hazouri has been elected in Jacksonville to various offices including Mayor over the course of the last 30 years?

It is not about me…I am reflecting WHY Dems across the state don’t trust the FDP. My opinion doesn’t matter in the bigger scheme of things. I happen to be less sour on the FDP than many. But the reality is results, and the results continue to underwhelm in any race where things could go against the Democratic candidate. Any 50-50 race or tough seat with few exceptions excepting the 2006 and 2008 cycles have fallen to the GOP going back to the 1998 election. So it’s unfair on the current FDP leadership and staff but that is WHY most activists around the state pile on after results like this. It’s all about history.

Has anyone heard of a law or party rule that allows a state party to keep people from running for office as a Democrat? That would be the only way the FDP could be held responsible for bad candidates losing.

That kind of flies in the face of FDP actively undermining sitting Democrats like Grayson in favor of its own favorites, doesn’t it? They’ve got enough bloggers carrying water for Patrick “Let’s ‘restructure Social Security’ ” Murphy to float a battleship.

If FDP is going to expend this much effort trying to slime viable Democrats in favor of recent Republican converts, how does it not get the blame for its hand-picked conserva-Dems getting crushed in the polls?

One: Murphy is actually campaigning in favor of SS (and not because of the Progressive Caucus either)
Two: This past week has shown that Grayson has a LOT of issues…that’s the real reason why the FDP is getting behind Grayson now. If Grayson gets the nomination, he will almost certainly lose.

We need solutions. Mistakes have consequences, multiple mistakes have long term consequences. Political mistakes affect real people, and real peoples lives. When people feel they are not being heard, they ask questions, and when they are insulted for asking a question, they lose faith. We need specifics, and have every right to ask for them.

Those who have real skin in the game are the only ones qualified to discuss things. I’m so sick of these armchair pundits and Kartik who does not have any skin in the game. The consultants and Democratic Party staff are those whose careers depend on these races. You cannot claim that and thus have ZERO RIGHT to critique or criticize.

This blog is the worst thing to happen to this party in a long time. You do nothing but tear down those who really care. All these progressives are bad news. How’s Alan crazy man Grayson looking now?

I agree. The bloggers should stuff it and get behind the cause. They would lose every campaign also if they ran it. So would all these activists. They have no clue.

But on this specific election the FDP ran Brown lock stock and barrel and LOST. While I am not a Kartik fan he is absolutely correct in stating that this is one of the most visible offices in the state – probably the single most visible one that was held by a Democrat. The only one that would rival this is Mayor of Tampa Bob Buckhorn.

I’m glad to see that someone gets it. No one gets anywhere by simply complaining about what they don’t understand.
As for Brown… I do feel that he ran a poor campaign. It seemed like he didn’t know how he was supposed to appeal to moderates without isolating the left-wing. So it was in part his campaign to lose.

Wow. And here is the problem with the FDP. “Skin in the game” for you guys means a paycheck. For the actual people of Florida, and the living, breathing Democrats upon whose support you depend for any level of success, “skin in the game” means better policies, and candidates who aren’t warmed-over Republicans with convenient wealthy donors all lined up.

Your record of running Sinks and Meeks and Crist’s is approximately zero, and now you think you’re going to smear Grayson in favor of a LITERAL Republican like Murphy whose signature policy is a “bipartisan” plan to kill Social Security?

Unbelievable. You guys who see the party as a “career” are the LEAST qualified to be telling people what works. You couldn’t beat the most unpopular governor in America with an ex-Republican, but you’re all going to post from your desks at FDP about how we need to try the same thing again, and if doesn’t work, it’s just because progressives called you out on it?

I’m sure that’s comfortable cocktail party conversation with the big dog donors, but history suggests you folks need to come to the people, not the other way around.

Not exactly making a good case for your cause. Even now, all you’re doing is being antagonistic.
If you actually knew anything about Murphy…he’s actually campaigning in favor of Social Security. I’ve never found anything about a bipartisan plan to kill Social Security, other than a blog.
BTW…there’s a reason no one wants Grayson to run. And it’s not because he’s a super progressive, as others think. It’s because he’s proven to us that he’s incapable of running a good campaign, as 2010 shows. Not to mention everything that happened over the past week.
If you want the FDP to take you seriously? You’re going to have to offer real solutions. It’s not something anyone else can do for you.

No, “Naoya.” “Everyone” does not want Grayson not to run. That’s not your call, or John Morgan’s, or any other big wig or party leader. It is not your place to go after Grayson or any other Dem with leaks about his divorce or what his girlfriend is up to. You get out of the way and you let Democrats decide.

The really bizarre thing is that after hand-picking these recent Republicans for their supposed practical viability (read: the right donors are on board) and losing, instead of recognizing the mistake and changing strategy, you just carp that all-powerful progressive bloggers are at fault for “depressing turnout.” That’s not rational.

As for Murphy’s Social Security plan, his reassurances that “current beneficiaries” would keep their benefits is exactly the kind of Republican weasel-wording we hear all the time. It doesn’t have “protecting Social Security” written all over it.

Here’s a real solution for you: Stop hand-picking Republicans to run as Democrats, because it doesn’t work. While you’re at it, stop sabotaging candidates from your own party.

Then stop blaming the constituents, whom the party, the leadership, operatives, and the candidates exist to serve daring to offer democratic input to the Democratic Party. It’s their skin,that matters, and to them, it’s not a “game.”

Oh really? Aren’t you forgetting something?
Grayson did exactly as you suggested in 2010…and he lost by 18 points in a district where Sink lost by 1 point. So the evidence is against you.
Ah yes…and other Democrats are actually quite offended by his gold digger comment. Not to mention his whole hypocrisy over the hedge fund and swearing at a reporter. So that actually is a big deal.
And…you still haven’t provided real evidence against Murphy either.

I think something that a lot of people miss is…what exactly is the FDP supposed to do? There’s only so much a party can do…It all comes down to how smartly a person campaigns here in Florida. I haven’t seen many Democrats here who can pull it off.

Why do Democrats only think about turnout in the last few weeks of an election? The name and address of every Democrat who did not vote is available soon after an election. That is when we should start connecting with those who did not vote and try to convince them to vote in future elections?

The Democratic African American Women Caucus recently had a VERY successful Candidate Training session. So much so, that other groups such as the DWC are trying to mimick us, however We brought in trainers from around the country, not ones who are simply going to spew FDP talking points. Actual trainers, in addition to very inspiring speakers, Despite the attempts of Allison Tant and Scott Arceneaux to stop it. Maybe if Tant and Arceneaux spent as much time making calls on behalf of Brown, instead of making calls trying to stop the DAAWC, which as you see they CAN’T do, things may have turned out better. Just kidding. Nothing is going to help Florida Democrats except a complete overhaul of this “good-old-boy/girl, uninspiring, do nothing but lose”, party leadership. The party leaders suck at doing anything but turning off those that don’t have their noses stuck up party leaders’ butts. Anyone with opinions that don’t agree with Tant & company is determined to be the enemy. Well guess what? The number of Democrats that do not agree with the current FDP leadership and their flunkies, far outnumber those that do. It shows at the polls. At the rate this party is going, you can kiss Rubio’s seat goodbye, as well as Florida for Hillary Clinton. That means a Republican President. Now if that isn’t enough to make REAL change at the FDP, I don’t know what is, and you get what you get. As far as the Democratic Women’s Club of Florida, your attempts to shut the DAAWC down failed as well. You may not like it, but Florida has become younger, Blacker, and Browner, and that is not reflective of your membership. Now instead of trying to fight the grassroots people who are working their asses off on the daily, the FDP should be asking those people for help, because the FDP certainly needs it. Now, the DAAWC is planning a road trip to Washington, D.C.. for Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference. It is there that we will be introducing the DAAWC nationally. We are making this trip affordable for all who want to go. We don’t have time to just sit around and watch the tired re-run of “How The FDP Turns”.

I would think with the amount of money raised in some of these elections, that they should be able to do plenty. I am not here to discuss political careers. I am here to discuss the effect continuous losing of elections is having on the people of Florida. And the issues that it will effect.

I agree with the tenor of this discussion. It is absolutely disgusting and quite frankly helpful to the republicans that this blog exists. All the malcontents and critics around the state please say how you would have won yesterday.

And the skin in the game is real. These activists make their living off other things. The blogger makes his living off soccer. Why don’t all of you focus on your professions and leave politics to the professionals that reside in the capital and live and breathe this every waking moment of the day.

If brown didn’t have to placate this left wing litmus test you people implement maybe he’d have kept the middle and won.

If not, that’s a very strange point of view regarding how democracy is supposed to work.

It’s not actually supposed to be “professionals” who determine who candidates should be or what elections are supposed to be about.

Rather, people who want to lead or work in politics are supposed to listen to people in order to earn their votes.

Demanding that people change their beliefs or expectations so you can win is kind of asking the mountain to come to you, or blaming a river for not flowing in the direction you wish to paddle.

Democracy doesn’t work that way. You want public support; you listen to the public, “critics and malcontents included.” You don’t get to just listen to the rich donors and then expect everyone else to go along with it for your convenience.

Bloggers and Activist are the very thing that has created movement. Equality for example, it was bloggers and activist that created a movement to support equality.Long before party did. Same with Immigration, Inequality, Incarceration, Women’s Issues, ERA. Bloggers and Activist have played a key role in getting the Democratic Party message out. I don’t think anyone needs to be lecturing either on what they can and can not speak about. Nor can anyone judge the amount of “SKIN” they have in any election.

Not all bloggers and activists are helpful though. Some outright antagonize FDP candidates for not being liberal enough…and then they either provide no alternative or produce a candidate even more flawed than the FDP candidate.
If these people really want more Democrats in office, then what they need to do is to come to terms with the political realities of our state, and then cooperate with the FDP in the whole process instead of fighting.

So I cannot have an opinion because I work in book shop and simply volunteer my time to local Democratic candidates? I don’t work in campaigns for a living so I guess I should just shut my mouth and accept that the managers that keep losing races know more than me and my opinion should not matter.

Very exact thing could be said to FDP, if they really want Democrats in office, they need to produce an environment where that is going to happen, instead of what has been taking place. And telling people they have no right to say anything is not the way to achieve that.

I can only speak for myself and my organization, so here goes. The FDP told a group of Black Women, the DAAWC, that we could not organize and call ourselves Democrats. That we had to be subservient to other groups that do not identify or relate to us. We were told that we could not operate as the Democratic African American Women Caucus, or that we had to drop “Democratic” from our name. Of course we didn’t do either, nor will we do either, and there is nothing that the FDP can do to make us, however the audacity to tell Black Women that we could not call ourselves Democrats would be laughable, if it were not so pathetic. Not only are we continuing to operate as the DAAWC, we are doing quite well. Better than the FDP seems to work lately. Other states have asked us to start DAAWCs for them. The FDP Telling people who can run for office, telling people who is going to be the nominee prior to a primary is just plain wrong. Let people sink or swim on their own merits. There is no reason for the FDP to put their losing finger on the scale to try to stop people. As long as that behavior continues, the losing will continue. As long as the FDP continues to try to shut people out, be it the Nan Rich’s, Pam Keith’s, DAAWCs, Grassroots Activists, or any other person, group, or candidate, they will continue to LOSE.

Leslie, either you are ignorant or you are making false/misleading statements to turn people off the Florida Democratic Party, or perhaps to further you personal goals. I dare say state leaders even care what you do, as long as you don’t claim to be doing it in the name of the official Democratic Party.

FDP has simply not approved a charter for your group. The state Committee on Clubs, Organizations and Caucuses voted against it. I was there when the unanimous vote of ‘rank and file’ members was taken. No one voted to charter your group. I voted and FDP did not attempt to tell me how to vote. I evaluated the issues and ramifications, the divisiveness you had already created in the Party by then, and voted the way I thought was in the best interest of my Party/how we could best get Democrats elected. Even Black women at this meeting who had initially supported your cause spoke against it, while no one spoke up for you.

You should be aware the state party leadership is responsible for ensuring the orderly conduct of Democratic Party business in Florida under State of Florida statutes, e.g., establishing party hierarchy, holding party elections, selecting national party representatives, doling out funds, party representation in the legislature. (Chapter 103, Florida Statutes). My would hope they could control the use of “Democrat” and its derivatives in order to prevent creation of deceptive groups who could sabotage the Party’s function and compliance with state statutes.

Furthermore, the FDP already has chartered groups that you could join for representation in state decisions and activities: The FL Democratic Black Caucus and the Democratic Women’s Club of Florida. Why do you resist working with existing organizations? Is it because you prefer the use of “African-American” instead of “Black”? If you have so many people who support you, have them all join the FDBC and lobby to change the name. If you think you Black women are being discriminated against by these organization, file official complaints with the state party. If that doesn’t work, go to the national party, and Black Democratic women leaders.

To split off and form your own Black women’s caucus would create confusion and disorder of party business and compromise the power and effectiveness of the FBC and the DWCF. Using Democrat or derivative in your name, people could easily assume you conduct yourselves under the rules of the state or national party. They could give you donations under this false assumption and would have no recourse if you misused their money.

It is ridiculous to claim FDP told you that you “could not organize” or that you “could not call [yourselves] Democrats.” I am sure they do not care if you organize or whatever you call YOURSELVES, as long as you do not imply you are officially recognized by the state party. Unfortunately, you have chosen a name that does just that – implies you are a recognized “club” under the state party bylaws, for “Clubs, Organizations and Caucuses.” Frankly, you sound like a spoiled brat that doesn’t want to play by the rules but create your own little chiefdom with no accountability.

It is false to claim FDP told you that your group had to be “subservient” to other groups. Only if your group is CHARTERED as an organization of the state Democratic Party, would your group have to fit into the established hierarchy of the state Party. You are being unreasonable to think you can be chartered by the party, then go off and do whatever suits your desires. The state is accountable for your actions, e.g., you screw up on election laws and the state pays your fine.

And you are totally lying about FDP silencing people like Nan Rich. Check FDP’s candidate contributions during the primary. FDP gave tens of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of dollars to keep Nan Rich going.

CORRECTION TO MY POST – Before anyone flies off have cocked, I made a “typo” in the phrase “If you think you Black women are being discriminated against…” I respect Black people in general and had no intention of sounding disrespectful or racist, which the posted phrase sounds like to me! I had initially written “If you think you are being discriminated against…” Then decided to remove the personal reference and broaden my statement to “Black women,” but I failed to delete the “you.” I believe that Black women hold a lot of power that could be decisive in elections and should be given the opportunity equal to anyone else to participate, offer their ideas, and be leaders in the party.

“We believe that the people are the source of all government power; that the authority of the people is to be extended, not restricted. This can be accomplished only by providing each citizen with every opportunity to participate in the management of the government. They must have that, we believe.”

Build relationships with Democrats that motives them. All of them. Not just the ones you hand pick . Build an accessible and open party where all are-and feel-welcome, and where their voices are heard, their values respected, and their experiences are understood.

The Task Force recommends creating a National Narrative Project to work with party leaders, ACTIVISTS, and messaging and narrative experts to create a strong values-based national narrative that will engage, inspire and motivate voters to identify with and support Democrats.

Produce core values for party.

The Task Force recommends working with State Parties to build partnership agreements that include training, evaluation, metrics, and incentives and that are focused on ensuring that every State Party is on a pathway to self-sustainability. It is imperative that these partnerships be rooted in a commonly understood set of standards and that there is transparency and ACCOUNTABILITY related to shared resources that are dedicated to professionalizing state parties and designing and implementing WINNING campaigns at the state, local and federal levels.

From the DNC Task Force Report.

ENGAGE, MOTIVATE AND MOBILIZE THE VOTE
CREATING AN ACCESSIBLE AND OPEN PARTY
COMMUNICATING IN THE 21ST CENTURY
BUILDING A BROAD COALITION OF VOTERS

Sadly what ever this Task Force comes up with will be kicked aside by the very people who profit from these losses. As long as their checks keep coming they do not care. It is even worse at the local Level when you have the likes of Burt Arronson and Robert Wexler still interfering with who gets to run and where the money goes. How many races have they screwed up. Next year, the year after we will still be in the same soup until there is a true clean sweep. I do not see that happening.

One more point. Look at the Murphy race. See how many local elected officials have already given him their endorsements. Why not wait until we see who also gets in the race ? Are these not the things the Task Force is suppose to deal with ? Where is the level playing field ? Here are elected officials already telling people not to get in the race by their actions. Why has the head of the party not asked these elected officials to hold off, let the primary season play out ? Nothing is going to change and true Democrats will stay home on election day or split the ticket. This puts us right back where we started.

(h/t Frank Day) From Richard Eskow: “The Left Matters – Now, More Than Ever
It’s a paradoxical situation: within the Democratic Party, those who have most often been right continue to be held at arm’s length by those who – at least in most cases – were so often originally wrong … Democratic Party insiders will sometimes remind independent leftists that they are few in number, and that most Democrats are happy with their leaders. That’s missing the point … The activist left isn’t important because of its numbers. It’s important because its members are the canaries in the coal mine for an unresponsive political process. A Democratic Party that patronizes them will also fail to reach the disaffected majority.”

1st, Alvin Brown was a bad Mayor, and even worse at campaigning. That has nothing to do with the Florida Democratic Party. I left that race blank on purpose, refused to assist that campaign, and called on other democrats to follow suit as well for several reasons;
1) His insistence to maintain a nonpartisan approach in a clearly partisan contest left this part of the democratic base empty, NO REASON TO SUPPORT THAT!
2) No endorsement of Hillary Clinton for President from him, the Duval County African American Caucus, or Congresswoman Corrine Brown, = no support and NO VOTE from HRC supporters across Duval (And being friends with Bill doesn’t make the grade here).
The FDP had nothing to do with this loss, and should be commended for their efforts on behalf of a bad candidate that needed the rug pulled out.

Again, If he was a bad Candidate,had an entire year to find someone to run against him in a primary. Rather than lose Jacksonville to Curry. Democrats are not required to endorse candidates, they may if they like, or wait until after primary.

The major problem with the FDP is the black vote Allison Tant has a horrible history with African American voters remember when she first got into office first thing she did was fire the black people since this criticism and others she’s been on a hiring spree to find some blacks. Her DEC has only one African American she has a horrible record with African Americans in her own county, ask around its no secret. She doesn’t know how to talk to people she is rude and condescending to African-Americans which is the base and the backbone of the party. If you want real change in the FDP start at the top and take up some black issues in a honest and real way.

To the notion that we need to run to the middle is B.S. The Republicans run to the base and energize it. There are more Democrats in the state and Republicans energize your base if you want to win elections.

I’m not familiar w/ Jacksonville politics so I can’t comment on this city’s election. But I can comment on statewide races. Sheldon should not have been recruited or encouraged to run for Attorney General. He received only 41% of the vote in the general election. Thurston would have made a much stronger candidate, and increased the Black turnout in the general election. It would have definitely put Charlie Crist back in the Governor’s mansion and may have even elected Thurston.

If Rick Scott, who couldn’t care less about minorities, had the political smarts to put a Black on his ticket for LT. Governor the first time he ran, why are the FDP decision makers so dumb? Blacks are the most loyal demographic of the Party. Maybe the FDP is too white.